Vacuum cleaner with nozzle height adjusting mechanism



J. R. EADES April 22,1969

VACUUM CLEANER WITH NOZZLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM sheet Filed May 9,1966 mi w. 2 i

L lill mvsmon. Joseph R. Eades BY I 22 y ATmRNEY I: (Ik.

n S a R. EADES Apr-i122, 1969 VACUUM CLEANER WITH NOZZLE HEIGHTADJUSTING MECHANISM v Filed May 9. 1966 Sheet INVENTOR. Joseph R. Ea desWitness flm w 4' ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,439,375 VACUUM CLEANERWITH NOZZLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM Joseph R. Eades, Liberty. S.C.,assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of NewJersey Filed May 9, 1966, Ser. No. 548,586 Int. Cl. A471 /34 U.S. Cl.-354 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mechanism for controlling theheight adjustment of a vacuum cleaner nozzle comprising an offset rearwheel axle cooperating with a cam projection carried by an elevationcontrol lever pivotally carried by the chassis of the vacuum cleaner,wherein the cam engages a portion of the axle for turning it therebyadjusting the height of the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner.

Summary This invention relates generally to vacuum cleaners and moreparticularly to a mechanism for raising and lowering the nozzle portionof a vacuum cleaner depending on the type of floor covering beingcleaned.

Nozzle height adjusting mechanisms have been used for many years and onesuch mechanism is shown in United States Patent No. 3,163,439 issuedDec. 29, 1964. In the mechanism of the patent, as well as in the presentmechanism, the nozzle is lowered by raising the rear portion of thevacuum cleaner and the nozzle is raised by lowering the rear portion ofthe cleaner, the vacuum cleaner chassis pivoting about the front wheels.While the mechanism of Patent No. 3,163,439 was found to operatesuccessfully, it comprised a number of parts which were fairly expensiveto manufacture and costly to assemble and the present invention is basedon the fact that an entirely satisfactory nozzle height adjustingmechanism has been devised which comprises a few simple parts and theprimary object of the present invention is to provide an improved deviceof the character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nozzle height adjustingmechanism which is easy to assemble.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nozzle heightadjusting mechanism having an adjusting member which is easilyaccessible at a location below and to the rear of the vacuum cleaner.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements ofparts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawingsof the prefen-ed embodiment of the invention, from which the severalfeatures of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will be described withreference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational sectional view of a vacuum cleaner embodyingthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view looking upwardly from below the cleaner andillustrating a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an upright fragmentary part-sectional view taken on the line3-3 of FIG. 2 and showing the nozzle height adjusting mechanism in thenozzle raised position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the parts in the nozzlelowered position;

FIG. 5 is an upright exploded perspective view illustrating parts of thenozzle height adjusting mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, and

FIG. 6 is an upright fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 ofFIG. 2.

Description 0 the preferred embodiments Referring more specifically tothe drawings the invention is disclosed as embodied in a vacuum cleaner15 having a chassis 16 devised to support an electric motor 17 fordriving a pair of fan impellers (not. shown) for causing dirt laden airto enter an aperture 18 in a nozzle 19 and exit through a discharge duct21 to which a dust bag (not shown) may be connected. The front portionof the vacuum cleaner 15 is supported by a pair of wheels 22-22rotatably mounted on the chassis 16.

The rear portion 36 of the chassis 16 is equipped with a nozzle heightadjusting mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 41. The nozzleheight adjusting mechanism 41, as herein shown, is the type which raisesthe nozzle 19 by causing the chassis 16 to pivot about the front wheels22-22 in such a manner as to lower the rear portion 36 of the chassis16, and lower the nozzle 19 by raising the rear portion 36 of thechassis 16, and the nozzle height adjusting mechanism 41 comprises arear axle 42 extending from side to side of the chassis 16. The axle 42is formed with a straight central portion 43 opposite ends of theportion 43 being offset as at 45, in such a manner as to form a pair ofconcentric straight journal portions 44-44 and the external ends of theportions 44-44 are each offset to form arms 46-4 6 and spindles 47-47for rotatably carrying rear wheels 48-48 and washers 49-49. The portions44-44 of the axle 42 are journaled in bearing recesses 50-50 formed independing bosses 51-51 which are integral with the chassis 16 and theportions 44-44 are pressed into the bearing recesses 59-56 by a pair ofretainer plates 54 and 56 secured to the chassis 16 by screws 57 and 58respectively. In other words, the rear axle 42 is pivotally mounted toturn about its journals 4 4-44 and since the central portion 43 isoffset from the two journals 44-44, the central portion 43' acts as alever arm with respect to the journals 44-44. In like manner, since thetwo spindles 47-47 are offset by the arms 46-46 from the two journals44-44, the spindles and thus the wheels 48-48 mounted thereon, will movewith respect to the chassis 16 as the axle 42 turns in the journals44-44.

The retainer plate 54 (FIG. 5) comprises a part-base 61 and a part-base62 connected by a vertical wall 63, the part-bases being apertured as at64 and 65 to receive holding screws 57. One edge and a portion of theopposite ends of the part-base 61 are bounded by an upstanding U-shapedwall 67, and one end of the part-base '62 extends outwardly and is bentupwardly to provide an L-shaped lug 68. The lug 68 and one end of theU-shaped wall 6-7 define a notch 69. The lug 68 and the other end of theU-shaped wall 67 define a large notch 70-. The purpose of notches 69 and70 will presently appear.

The retainer plate 56 (FIG. 5) comprises a part-base 71 and a part-base72 connected by a vertical wall 73, the part-bases being apertured as at74 and 75 to receive holding screws 58. One edge and a small portion ofthe opposite ends of the part-base 71 are bounded by an upstandingU-shaped wall 77 and one end of the partbase 72 extends outwardly and isbent upwardly to provide an L-shaped lug 78. One edge and a portion ofan adjacent edge of the part-base 72 are bounded by an upstanding Lshaped wall 81 and opposite edges of the part base 71 are formed withupstanding lugs 82 and '83. The lug 82 and one end of the U-shaped wall77 define a notch 84. The lug 83 and the other end of the U-shaped wall77 define a notch 85. The lugs 83 and 78 define a notch 86.

3 The lug 78 and one end of the L-shaped wall 81 define a notch 87 andthe other end of the wall 81 and the lug 82 define a notch 88. Thepurpose of notches 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88 will presently appear.

An operating or elevating cam lever 90, is provided and extendsrearwardly from below the rear portion 36 of the chassis 16 and may beadjusted to either raise or lower the nozzle 19 of the vacuum cleaner.The lever 90 comprises a flat portion 91 formed with two threaded holes92 and 93 and one edge of the flat portion 91 is joined to an edge of aflat portion 94 b a wall 96. The flat portion 94 is substantiallyU-shaped in outline and has an upstanding (FIG. handle tab 97. The lowersurface of the flat portion 91 engages the upper surface of the partbase 61, and the lever 90 is pivotally held to the base 61 by reason ofone of the screws 57 passing upwardly through the aperture so as tothread into the hole 92. A cam stud 98, the lower end of which isthreaded into the hole 93, extends upwardly from the upper surface ofthe flat portion 91 and is positioned to engage the lever arm or centralportion 43 of the rear axle 42.

The rear portion 36 of the vacuum cleaner 15 is biased to a loweredposition (i.e. nozzle raised position) by the weight of the cleaner.

A pin 102, a spring 103 and a pedal portion 104 are used to control apropelling handle (not shown) of the vacuum cleaner. The last threenamed elements form no part of the present invention.

Turning movement of the axle 42 on its journals 44 44 is limited (FIGS.2 and 6) by the central lever arm portion 43 engaging, in one directionof turning, with an abutment lug 106 carried by the chassis 16, and, inthe other direction of turning with an abutment edge of the lug 82. Thenotches 69 and of the plate 54 accommodate portions of the axle 42 andin addition the notch 70 provides space for swinging of the lever 90from the solid line position shown in FIG. 2 to the dash-dash lineposition also shown in FIG. 2. The notches 86 and 88 of the plate 56accommodate portions of the axle 42 and the notches S4 and accommodatethe pin 102.

Operation of the hereinbefore described mechanism is as follows:

If it is assumed that the nozzle height adjusting mechanism 41 isarranged (FIG. 3) to raise the nozzle 19 (i.e. to lower the rear portion36 of the chassis 16) for cleaning on deep pile rugs and it is desirableto lower the nozzle 19 (i.e. to raise the rear portion 36 of the chassis16) the operator moves the cam lever from the solid line positions shownin FIGS. 2 and 3 to the dash-dash position shown in FIG. 2 and the solidline position shown in FIG. 4. This movement of the lever 90 causes thecam stud 98 to move from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the positionshown in FIG. 4 and this turns the central lever arm portion 43 of theaxle 42 in a clockwise manner (FIGS. 3 and 4) about the center line ofthe journals 4444. This, of course, turns the arms 46-46 from theposition shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4 and thus raisesthe .rear portion 36 of the chassis 16. When the lever 90 is in theposition shown-in FIG. 4 and by dash-dash lines in FIG. 2, the cam stud98 will be in a slightly over-center position with respect to the screw57 which, as previously stated, passes through the hole 65 and isthreaded into the aperture 92. I

If the operator wishes to raise thenozzle, he simply moves the lever 90in the reverse direction and the Weight of the cleaner causes the arms46-46 to turn in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown inFIG. 4 to that shown in FIG. 3.

Having thus described the nature of this invention, what is claimedherein is: j p V 1. A nozzle height adjusting mechanism for-a vacuumcleaner of the type wherein the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner is raisedby lowering the rear portion of the vacuum. cleaner chassis and whereinthe nozzle is lowered by raising the rear portion of the chassis, thesaid nozzle height adjusting mechanism comprising in combination a rearaxle extending from side to side of said chassis, oliset arms andspindles formed at opposite ends of said axle, Wheels carried by saidspindles, journals formed-as part of said rear ,axle, spaced bearingsformed. as part of said chassis and turnably mounting said journals andthus turnably mounting said axle, a central portion of said axle beingolfset to form a lever arm with respect to said journals, a levermovable between a plurality of positions, and means carried by saidlever for engaging the offset central portion of said axle for turningsaid axle on its journals, means for operably mounting said leverrelative to said chassis so that in a selected one of its positions thelever locates said engaging means carried thereby in an over-centerposition relative to said mounting means, whereby there is provided anarrangement for adjustment of the height of the nozzle of said vacuumcleaner.

References Cited Waters et al. l5-354 ROBERT W. MICHELL, PrimaryExaminer. H

